Rethinking 2Pac...14 Years Later

CLEVELAND - If someone were to study media reports about Tupac Shakur in 1995, they would have found a consistent pattern of negativity. Whether brought on by his own reckless and menacing ways, or just biased and unfair opinions, the man was as repudiated in the press for his behavior as he was revered in hip-hop for his artistry.

And now, in 2010, the man continues to ascend the ladder of legend.

Today marks the 14th anniversary of his game changing death. Yes it is unreal that it took place that long ago. Back in the days of dial-up, ultra basic Internet. During the Clinton administration but before Monica and her stained dress. Way back when LeBron was a poverty stricken 11-year old unknown. Back when no one had ever heard of  DVDs and cell phones were as rare as a bad game by Michael Jordan and as big as a VHS tape.

His death was THAT long ago.

It's interesting that 2Pac's career started off the way it did. In 1990, he seemed as family friendly and non-threatening as Will Smith. That is when he was nothing more than a roadie for the hip-hop group Digital Underground. But in the three years between 1992 and 1995, 2Pac evolved from a young, militant musician to a notoriously brash criminal who often spoke of and epitomized a "thug lifestyle" of deviant and even felonious behavior. Television images of him often depicted him in handcuffs, in courtrooms or speaking in an animated and ruthless fashion about violence and what he felt was his persecution.

He came off as a peerless troublemaker with no intention of slowing down.

His music became more eerie, violent and contradictory. It also became more polished and popular and by the time he was released from a months long prison stint in the fall of 1995, he was one of the top two superstars in hip-hop along with bitter rival The Notorious B.I.G. He spent the first eight months of 1996 atop the world of rap music thanks largely to the February release of his seminal LP, All Eyez On Me. Now a high-profile member of Death Row Records (and a de facto protege of the villainous Suge Knight), 2Pac decided to tamp up his own hubris and cockiness as he openly and shamelessly basked in the glow of his modified image and Death Row allegiance.

When he was murdered in that now infamous September drive-by shooting in Las Vegas, there was a huge feeling of anger and sadness for both a life lost at just 25, and for a brilliant artist who was too caught up in crafting an invincible street image instead of using his obvious intelligence, ideals and talent to ascend to an ever higher, more significant place in the world. 2Pac could have changed the world in amazing ways that had nothing to do with music. The man was an intellect and a visionary, two terms that never would have been used to describe him during his lifetime.

He's celebrated as an important icon nowadays, but in truth...he was bigger than that. It's a shame he tried so hard to hide that from us while he was alive.

Biggie's Complicated Place In Hip-Hop History

CLEVELAND - Hard to believe that it's been a full 13 years since the awful drive-by murder of rap superstar The Notorious B.I.G. It's also hard to evaluate his place in hip-hop history given his massive talent and groundbreaking accomplishments coupled with a very brief career and zero longevity.

He was, however, unquestionably great.

That fateful night in Los Angeles 13 years ago today still perplexes and frustrates B.I.G.'s loyal fans and the hip-hop community at large. It also hurts that the very public crime remains unsolved nearly 5,000 days after the fact. But one thought that today has caused me to have is this: where does Biggie rank in rap history?

On the plus side, Biggie was unassailable as an MC. His lyrical aptitude was beyond reproach and resulted in wide praise from fans and critics alike. His 1994 debut album Ready To Die is considered a touchstone in the genre's history. It was also lauded as being one of the most brilliant debut albums ever. His 1997 double album Life After Death has been endlessly acclaimed as a polished masterpiece; a veritable cinematic-style opus that deftly showcased B.I.G.'s ascension as a true icon in his field.

On the negative side, Biggie was only in the game for three years. Obviously, it wasn't his fault that his career was cut short by gunmen, but the fact still remains. So, with only two albums to his credit in such an abbreviated career, B.I.G.'s ranking seems to be lower than one might expect. Making matters more frustrating is the realization that he wasn't even in his prime yet. Once Life After Death was released 16 days after his death, it became evident that his already incredible skills had dramatically improved. The concepts were more ambitious and the variety in topics were excellent. Where Ready To Die was was raw and gritty, Life After Death was refined and stylish. Biggie was brought to our attention as an obese street hustler who dealt drugs and overcame his "black and ugly as ever" appearance with endless charm and confidence. By the time 1997 began, he had evolved into a believable Don Juan of the ladies as well as a mafioso-style gangster.

In the final analysis, I feel that because of Biggie's game changing music and his unforgettable style, he will forever be a giant in hip-hop. His time may have been very brief, but that actually makes his epic achievements that much more impressive.

Long live B.I.G.

Shakur Hid True Brilliance Behind 'Thug' Act

CLEVELAND - Tupac Shakur managed to be a superstar rap artist as well as a highly coveted sex symbol, but never quite understood the power of his true brilliance because he was busy covering it up.

What a shame.

It was 13 years ago today that arguably the most shocking and pivotal moment in hip-hop history took place; Shakur died from wounds he suffered in a rainstorm of gunfire six days earlier in Las Vegas, NV. His death dealt a gigantic blow to both his legion of devoted fans as well as the music industry, particularly urban music. At the time, Shakur (popularly known as 'Pac) was the biggest star in the game. His magnum opus, the sprawling, double CD All Eyez On Me had been released seven months earlier and received massive acclaim. Additionally, 2Pac had been embroiled in a tit-for-tat feud with rival East coast rap star the Notorious B.I.G. and had recently released a vitriolic song entitled, "Hit 'Em Up" in order to publicly humiliate B.I.G.

Shakur had come into national prominence in 1992 when both his debut album 2Pacalypse Now and his feature film debut Juice were released to glowing reviews. From there, the previously introspective, often political 'Pac began to get involved in trouble of all sorts. He began modifying his image and soon became "thugged out" in both appearance and behavior. Brushes with the law and antagonistic lyrics soon became his trademark and ironically, his fame and status grew significantly.

In 1993, Shakur shot two police officers and was accused of sexual assault on a woman. He himself was shot several times in November 1994, and even though he survived the attack, he went to prison for the sex crime. 2Pac wound up spending less than a year incarcerated, but once his $1.4 million bail was posted by music mogul Suge Knight, he was a free man, but indebted to Knight for his generosity. This is when 'Pac signed to Death Row Records and promptly began crafting music for All Eyez On Me. Strangely enough, 2Pac became more brash and pugnacious once he was out of prison. Being in Knight's camp almost seemed to provide him a security blanket and he let his hubris hang out all over the place with "gangsta' posturing" and sharp bravado designed to paint him as a "hardcore thug nigga from the street."

The problem with all of this was simple; 2Pac only hurt his image by cultivating such a negative one. By the time he attended the Mike Tyson/Bruce Seldon prizefight at the MGM Grand on September 7, 1996, he'd completed his 5th solo album, "Makaveli: The Seven Day Theory" which was scheduled for release two months later. He was gunned down in a still-unsolved drive-by shooting on the Vegas strip after the Tyson fight while riding in a BMW with Knight.

Since he had been shot two years prior, many believed that he would again pull through. He also seemed to be, through the mythology of his music, invincible. He wasn't. He received major surgery and lapsed into a coma before finally fading away on that awful Friday the 13th afternoon 13 years ago. Of course, fans were overcome with major grief and disbelief and Shakur became canonized almost immediately. He was now seen less as a troublemaker and more as a martyr who became the voice of a generation.

What is so wasteful to me is that Shakur was amazingly intelligent, philosophical and articulate. There's an interview of him, filmed in 1988 when he was just 17 years old where he poses some very thoughtful observations and questions about politics and the plight of poverty stricken people and how they are overlooked by the "hotshots" in Washington, D.C. That intelligence and analytical ability was on display occasionally, though not nearly enough because he was busy living up to his contrived "thugness."

Don't get me wrong. I'm aware of Shakur's upbringing and his street-side, so there are no false illusions on my part. I'm just disappointed that the man who became an icon in death wasn't more forthcoming with his genius. I always say that if he were around nowadays, he'd be a far more professorial type, maybe in the vein of Michael Eric Dyson; Dr. Tupac Shakur if you will.

Shakur's lyrics were often a work of art -- when he eschewed the violence and mayhem for poetic amelioration. He was an idealist as well as an activist in his own way, but he too often got in his own way and his potentially transformative influence was extinguished.

Looking back on 2Pac's brilliant career from the vantage point of 13 years later, I can't help but wonder how he would have impacted the world in the 21st century. Remember, he was just 25 years old when he was killed so he had so much room for improvement and time to shake off that young ignorance that we're all cursed with initially. Tupac Shakur was so much more than we knew at the time, but if we continue to listen to his music, we'll continue to decipher his true message, not the commercialized one.

Long live Tupac.

Biggie's Final Masterpiece Was Ahead Of Its Time

CLEVELAND - Rap legend The Notorious B.I.G. blasted onto the music scene with a stunning debut that meticulously detailed the harsh realities of the crime infested streets of urban America.

His sophomore album took all of that to another level.

Today marks the 12th anniversary of the bittersweet release of Life After Death, a sprawling double CD produced by Bad Boy Records CEO and founder Sean Combs (as Puff Daddy) and starring the master of lyrical dexterity, Christopher Wallace (as B.I.G.). Of course, the fervor over the highly anticipated album was both dampened and elevated with Biggie's shocking murder in Los Angeles three weeks prior to the LP's release. Even still, the album was a true classic and further affirmed what we all knew; Biggie was a giant in his field and was getting better.

Life After Death was noticeably different from B.I.G.'s 1994 debut, Ready to Die. On this LP, he was more refined, polished and of course, accomplished. His life had become one of immense success and decadent pleasure. As a result, the gritty complexion of Ready to Die was present only in spurts. This album was a celebration of surviving the streets, while still tethered to them in the subtlest of ways.

Combs, then a 27-year old entertainment mastermind with a remarkable sense of what would best get his target audience's attention, was the man who urged Biggie to craft more mainstream music. It was his shrewd way of getting B.I.G. to appeal to a wider range of people while retaining his street credibility.

It was a flawless concept.

That 1997 album was clearly ahead of its time. Biggie's narrative was deliberately theatrical and it told the tale of a Brooklyn hustler turned Madison Avenue superstar. The hustler still existed in him and was even gangster-like if need be. But outwardly, the stunning ascension was something to celebrate and for his followers, even strive to emulate. Other rap albums of that time wasn't even close to being this complex. Study the epic set a little closer and notice Biggie adopting different rhyme schemes ("Notorious Thugs"), delivering a song in rap form, then delivering it again in conversation form ("I Got a Story to Tell"), and even paying tribute to the West Coast ("Goin' Back to Cali") even though he was clearly persona non-grata out there.

Life After Death will forever be Christopher Wallace's magnum opus. It will also always be the historical artifact that cemented his legacy.